Cover for milk delivery cans



Dec. 5, 1944. J. A. HOPWOOD COVER FOR MILK DELIVERY CANS Filed June 30,1943 INVENTOR JOHN H. HOPWO 00 BYz' I -K 2 ATTORNEY of cover are ingeneral use.

. umbrella type, has a substantially fiat top plate Patented Dec. 5,1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COVER FOR MILK DELIVERY CANS John A.Hopwood, Great Neck, N. Y., assignor to Hopwood Retinning 00., Inc.,Jersey- City, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey.

Application June 30, 1943, Serial No. 492,897

1 Claim.

This invention relates to delivery cans, such as are commonly used forthe delivery of milk to stores, restaurants, hotels, etc.

These cans are provided with covers adapted to fit into the neck of thecan. Two distinct types One, the so-called with a peripheral umbrellaportion curved downwardly to a rolled edge, and is provided on its underside with a cylindrical, open :bottom rim of a diameter to fit into theneck of the can. In the other form, known as the plug type, the fiat topplate is omitted and the cylindrical rim is closed at its bottom andprovided at its top with a laterally projecting umbrella flange curveddownwardly to a rolled edge.

Both of these types of cover are used in very large quantitiesthroughout the country and, inasmuch as there has been no rigid nationalstandard, the covers used in different sections or made by difierentmanufacture-rs in the: same localities, have varied. V For example, sometwenty quart delivery cans will have an interior neck diameter ofexactly 6" and require a can cover with a 6" rim, whil other cans of thesame capacity will have a 6 /8" or a 6 neck and require covers with rimsof corresponding size.

Ordinarily, these variations in cover sizes have not been serious, butwartime conditions now render it diflicult' to obtain metal to makereplacements for covers which are annually lost and broken inastonishing large numbers. It is. not now possible to carry in stockquantities of covers of all these graduations of rim sizes. Somethinghad to be done to solve this problem and a satisfactory solution isfound in the present invention.

Speaking generally, this invention comprises the formation of a milk cancover having a rim provided, longitudinally of its axis, withasuccession of rim sections of difierent diameters which progressivelyincrease in an upward direction. This structure is provided by formingone or more steps in the rim so that, e. g., the lowermost cylindricalsection of the rim may measure 6" in diameter, the next section, willmeasure 6%" and the uppermost section will measure 6%," in diameter. Thseveral sections of the rim are preferably individually cylindricalalthough I may taper them very slightly to conform to some cans whichhave necks with .a slight taper. The industry cannot afford, nor is themetal available, to scrap all cans on hand and make new ones to uniformdimensions. The replacement covers must fit the old cans and the presentinvention provides a practically universal form for this purpose. Theadvantage of the stepped construction of this invention is that thelowermost rim section will fit a six inch neck, the next section willfit a 6 neck and the next section will fit a 6 neck, referring, ofcourse to the application of the invention to the 20 quart can ofexample given. The invention is, however, not limited to use on a 20quart can, but may be utilized for cans of other sizes, such as those ofthe conventional 40 quart variety.

The stepped rim cover of this invention provides for a surface seal ofthe can, in contradistinction to a line seal which would result fromline contact between the cover rim and can neck. This latter type ofseal is not practical in milk cans, for a tight line seal would requiregrinding or machining of the can neck. Where the can neck connects withthe bowl at the top of the can, the parts are very rigid. They will notyield and in [practically every old can, they are rough and uneven andnot at all adapted for line contact with a cover, The interior of theneck is, however, substantially cylindrical and not so rigid and thusthe surface seal of the present invention is well adapted to efficientlyfunc- I tion.

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparentfrom th hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawing.

The accompanying drawing illustrates difierent practical embodiments ofthe invention, but the constructions therein shown are to be understoodas illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a milk can cover of the umbrella type embodying thepresent invention, one lateral half of the cover being shown in centralsection and the other half in elevation. In this figure, the rim of thecover is shown as having one step to adapt it to fit can necks of twodifferent diameters.

Figure 2 shows in central section one lateral half of a can cover of theumbrella type provided with two steps to fit cans of three differentsizes. It will be understood that both lateral halves of the cover arethe same.

Figure 3 shows one lateral half of a cover of the plug type embodyingthe invention and shown edge to the under side of the top plate I at 5in accordance with the usual practice.

In Figure 1, two can necks 6 and 6a are shown provided, respectively,with the usual bowls or lips I. These can necks and lips are shown indot and dash lines and, as illustrated, they are of different internaldiameter. To permit of the us of a single can cover with cans havingnecks of these two diameters, the rim; 4' is provided intermediate itslength with an offset or step 8 providing an upper section 9 of adiameter adapted to fit into the neck 6 and a lower section 9a of asmaller diameter adapted to fit into the neck So. I may use a sharpangular offset at the step if desired, but I preferably employ the angleshown which is substantially the angle of inclination of the bowl or lipI of the can. This angle is practically constant in all cans.

Instead of terminating the step 8 exactly at the circumferential surfaceof the section an, I preferably carry this step slightly inwardly ofthis latter section, as shown at l ll and: then draw or spin the metaloutwardly again to meet the section: 9a. This provides an exteriorannular recess fl at the base of the step 8 which permits the step tomore readily seat in the lip or bowl I of the can. Furthermore, byproviding this ex ternal recess, a more accurate: fit can be obtainedthroughout the height of the section an by eliminating the possibleformation of fi-l-lets which wouldinterfere with the seating of thecover.

The lower edge of the rim is preferably contracted inwardly, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, to facilitate the entry of the: rim into the neck. of thecan, when positioning the cover' thereon.

Figure 2 shows an arrangement the same as that shown in Figure 1 exceptthat there are two steps 8 provided, so as to divide the: rim into threesections 9, 9a and 9b adapted to fit, respectively, can necks 6, 6a and6b which: are of corresponding diameters.

Figure 3 shows the adaptation of the invention to the plug type cover.Here the cover has a closed bottom plate I3 having an upstandingv rim l4merging into an umbrella section IS, the edge of which is rolled as at I6.

In adapting the invention to this typev of cover, the rim i4 isprovided. with one or more steps or offsets 8 formed in amannerhereinbefore described to provide a plurality of rim sections 9', 9a,etc., adapted to fit can necks of corresponding dimension. The inwardcontraction at the bottom of the rim to facilitate entry of the rimintothe can, as in Figures 1 and 2, is not necessary in Figure 3, forthe curve [1, formed by joining the rim to the bottom plate l3, mayserve this purpose. 1

In the great majority of cases, a single step to provide a rim oftwodifferent diameters, asshown in Figures 1 and 3, will suliice, butany appropriate number of steps may be provided without departing fromthis invention, so long as each rim section is of sufficient axialdimension to form with the can neck a surface seal, 1. e., make contactwith the can neck for an appreciable distance in a directionlongitudinally of the axis of the neck. This distance need not be greatas a relatively narrow band of contact between the parts will sufiice,but no attempt should be made to rely upon linei contacts becausepractice has shown that milk can seals cannot be satisfactorily producedin this manner.

One important advantage of the present invention is that it is possibleto modify can covers now on hand to incorporate the present inventiontherein asby spinning, pressing, swedging, or

otherwise manipulating the metal of the cover to form therein thesections of different diameter with intervening: steps. Therefore oldcovers now in stock can be readily changed to meet presentday'requirements.

In the disclosure hereinbeforemade, the rim 4 is! shown in the form" ofa one-piece: sleeve, the metal in the different. portions of which ismanipulated. to produce the different. sizes: and steps to which Ihave'referred. It is entirely practical,. however, in carrying out thepresent invention, particularly in connection with' the manufacture ofnew covers, to make each: stepv separately of the desired; diameter andthereafterweld or otherwise join these consecutive steps together.

Furthermore, while: I have shown the: rim as welded to the top plate andumbrella portion, these parts maybe otherwise fabricated and joined. Theinvention: fundamentally relates to the rim portion of the cover and theparticular structure of the remaining parts of th cover may vary withoutdeparting from: the invention.v

The. foregoing detailed description setsforth the invention in itspreferred practical forms; but the invention shown. is to beunderstoodas fully commensurate with the appended claim;

Having thusfully described the invention,. what I claim as new anddesire: to secure: by Letters Patent is:

In an assembly of. the character described; a milk deliver cancomprising a substantially cylindrical neck surmounted. by an' upwardlyand outwardly flaring substantially frusto-conical lip, in combinationwith a cover having a; rim with consecutive portions of its length ofdifferent diameters, one of which is such as to fit the cylindrical neckof said can and another of which is such as to fit a like can. having aneck' of. the same kind but of a different diameter, the consecutive rimportions being joined to one another by an inclined ofiset havingsubstantially the same angle of inclination as the flare: of the lip ofthe can.

JOHN A. HQPWOOD.

